ABSTRACT
At the present time Tibet is divided into fifty-three administrative districts, of which fifty are ordinary and three are extraordinary, and each such district has some town or village which has been chosen to serve as the local capital or centre of administration. In nearly all such cases the Governors reside in a great fortress castle, built as far as possible of stone, and placed on the summit of a small hill commanding a view of the surrounding plains. At the base of this hill is situated the village itself. The castles are for the most part really imposing-looking places, and although, as the events of 1904 showed, incapable of withstanding bombardment by modern artillery, they are, or should be, practically impregnable against any attack by men armed with only bows and arrows, or even rifles. But their massiveness is not only designed to protect them against attack from an invading army, but also to inspire awe in the hearts of the peasantry of the district, making them the more willing to obey all orders issued by the officials appointed from Lhasa.
